Kentucky Locks Addition

Thalle Construction is working with the US Army Corps of Engineers on a large, long-term project that will double the capacity of the locks that allow barge and boat traffic around the Kentucky Dam. Concrete construction of the upstream monoliths of the new long navigation lock landward and adjacent to the existing 600 foot long Kentucky Lock at mile 22.4 of the Tennessee River (Livingston County, Kentucky).

Significant scope items include:
1) site demolition, 2) drilling, installation, and watertightness grouting and testing of 10 vertical and 16 inclined 30-strand anchors averaging 140 feet in length (this work will involve drilling through concrete and limestone); 3) excavation of approximately 500,000 cubic yards of overburden; 4) earthwork, roadwork, and construction of a 3000 foot long haul road and associated disposal area, 5) operation and maintenance of an automated instrumentation system comprised of biaxial tiltmeters, joint meters, and piezometers with associated data loggers and cell phone transmission system, 6) installation and relocation of site utilities; 7) rock blasting including pre-splitting of 36,900 square feet, line drilling of 3560 square feet, and excavation of approximately 100,000 cubic yards of rock, 8) 124,000 cubic yards of concrete placement in the construction of the upstream monoliths including 4,850,000 pounds of deformed steel bar, 9) installation of approximately 750 linear feet of grout lines with an average depth of 80 feet, 10) Directional drilling and installation of 600 linear feet of 18” HDPE pipe for the pit drainage system.

The rock excavation associated with this contract has exacting tolerances in some areas and strict requirements on accelerations being experienced by adjacent structures. The concrete placed in this contract is 3” aggregate mass concrete that required an onsite batch plant with cooling capability. Project duration is expected to be approximately 26 months.